Twenty-two vehicles earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's highest safety award for 2014, TOP SAFETY PICK+, thanks to a high level of protection in crashes and the availability of front crash prevention technology to avoid many collisions in the first place. An additional 17 earn TOP SAFETY PICK by meeting the crashworthiness criteria alone.
IIHS is using new criteria for the awards this year. TOP SAFETY PICK requires good performance in the Institute's moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests and, for the first time, good or acceptable performance in the small overlap front test introduced in 2012. The same level of performance in those tests, along with at least a basic rating for front crash prevention, is required for the higher accolade, TOP SAFETY PICK+.
Installing child restraints can frustrate even the most capable of parents. A system called Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children is supposed to make things easier by standardizing attachment hardware, but a new study shows that many automakers aren’t paying attention to the key factors that make LATCH work. Only 21 of the 98 top-selling 2010-11 model passenger vehicles evaluated have LATCH designs that are easy to use. This is the main finding of joint research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
Adults have gotten the message that it’s safer for kids to ride in the back seat properly restrained, but when it comes to their own safety, there is a common misperception that buckling up is optional. Among adults who admit to not always using safety belts in the back seat, 4 out of 5 surveyed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety say short trips or traveling by taxi or ride-hailing service are times they don’t bother to use the belt.
The new survey reveals that many rear-seat passengers don’t think belts are necessary because they perceive the back seat to be safer than the front. This shows a clear misunderstanding about why belts are important, no matter where a person sits in a vehicle.
Before the majority of Americans got into the habit of buckling up, the back seat was the safest place to sit, and the center rear seat was the safest place of all in 1960-70s’ era vehicles. In recent decades, high levels of restraint use, the advent of belt pretensioners, load limiters and airbags, plus crashworthy vehicle designs have narrowed the safety advantages of riding in the rear seat for teens and adults.
Two all-electric vehicles fall short of meeting the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s awards criteria, but consumers who want to minimize gas consumption while also prioritizing safety can choose from two plug-in hybrids that earn the 2017 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.
The two recently evaluated all-electric models are the 2017 Tesla Model S and the 2017 BMW i3. The plug-in hybrid models are the Chevrolet Volt, whose award was announced in December, and the Toyota Prius Prime.
To qualify for the 2017 TOP SAFETY PICK award, a vehicle must earn good ratings in all five crashworthiness evaluations — small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints — and come with a front crash prevention system that earns an advanced or superior rating. The “plus” is awarded to vehicles that meet all those criteria and also come with good or acceptable headlights.
These materials are already known for their use in race cars and other lightweight vehicles: Carbon fiber or other high-tech plastics. Light, stable and economical. Now, especially in the context of energy consumption automakers are losing their fear of man made materials - formerly known as
Compared to the previous years the average price of a mobile home increased by almost 4% in 2009 and cost round about 56,000 Euros. Thus, the average price is about that of what a well-equipped, converted van would cost. And this is where the trend is headed: the buyers are in particular interested in multi purpose vehicles. Manufacturers can partially record a strong increase in sales.
Camping has always been quite adventurous: In nature, on the highway or wherever. This seems to no longer suffice, the vehicles also are expected to be adventurous - yes they also have to be practical and functional - but now almost every camper, each tent and every caravan has to have that small, individual extra. At the CARAVAN SALON in Duesseldorf you will find a variety of adventurous vehicles to chose from.
http://www.osv.ltd.uk/toyota.php There are cars that get your heart racing – cars that go fast, look mean and deserve to be driven by rock stars. The Toyota MK3 Avensis is not one of those vehicles. The sensible hauler seems to be the perfect car for an accountant or librarian. Even though it isn’t the most inspiring machine, the Toyota does have many respectable qualities...See more http://www.osv.ltd.uk/toyota.php
Twenty five years ago, ground was broken on a 1,300-acre tract of farmland in Scott County that now is home to Toyota’s largest manufacturing facility outside of Japan – employing nearly 7,000 team members.
In recognition of the milestone, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) will host a celebration tomorrow at Keeneland Race Course that features Fujio Cho, chairman of Toyota Motor Corp. and past president of the TMMK operation, former Gov. Martha Layne Collins, and state and community leadership. In addition, team members will mark the anniversary at a private function at Rupp Arena.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/53219-toyota-celebrates-25-years-manufacturer-in-kentucky-nearly-7000-employees
Today at the North American International Auto Show, Michelin introduced the MICHELIN® Premier® A/S tire with revolutionary new EverGrip™ technology, which provides drivers with exceptional levels of safety even as their tires wear down. Even when worn, the MICHELIN Premier A/S with EverGrip™ technology stops shorter on wet roads than the leading competitors’ brand new tires.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/65143-michelin-sets-standard-automotive-safety-michelin-evergrip-premier-tire
Summer time brings freedom, fun and family vacation! While it may seem like a season of carefree leisure, planning a trip for the whole family can be stressful! From picking the perfect hotel and making sure all the bags are packed to getting the car serviced and ensuring you have the right technology to stay connected, the list of tasks can seem endless.
The Lincoln Continental, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the Toyota Avalon come out at the top of a group of six large cars recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The three cars qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK+, the Institute’s highest award. The Tesla Model S, the Chevrolet Impala and the Ford Taurus fall short of any award because they each earn only an acceptable rating in the small overlap front test.
Vehicles qualify for either the TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ award if they have good ratings from IIHS in five crashworthiness tests — small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints — and an available front crash prevention system that earns a superior or advanced rating. To qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle also must come with good or acceptable headlights
